Elastic fabric and its process of manufacture



Ct. 10, 1939. I F F, SCHWARTZ ET AL 2,l'u75,733

ELASTLC FABRIC AND ITS PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE Filed Aug. 5, 1937 Agg 3b'K l 7159.4 illy@ @9.45

3,9 lNvENToRs Frederi Schwartz rc Alfred avannes Patented Oct. 10, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELASTIC FABRIC AND ITS PROCESS F MANUFACTUREApplication August 5, 1937, Serial No. 157,504 In France April 16, 193719 Claims.

This invention relates to an elastic fabric and its process ofmanufacture and deals particularly with elastic fabrics possessing greatextensibility and consisting of a basis of textile material and acoating of rubber applied for example in the form of an aqueousdispersion such as rubber latex. Such rubber coatings may be applied byspraying in such a way that the constituent threads of the fabric areable to slide relatively to one another at their points of intersection.

When used for certain purposes it is desirable that such elastic fabricsshould possess a very high degree of extensibility. Woven fabrics,however, are not in general very extensible.

Knitted fabrics are usually more lextensible but normally theirextensibility is in one direction onlyand their'extensibility in adirection at right angles to the above-mentioned direction is limited.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved elasticproduct formed of textile material and rubber in which the extensibilityin a predetermined direction is greatly increased.

We have found that this result may be achieved by employing a textilematerial which is formed of threads or yarns of two different natures,the threads or yarns of one kind beingof such a nature that they may beremoved from the fabric altogether by chemical means at some stage of 80the manufacture of the elastic product. The

threads or .varns of the other kind are such that they resist the attackof the chemical agent employed and remain in the finished fabric. 'Ihethreads or yarns which are capable of being removed are hereinafterreferred to as destructible threads while the threads or yarns whichremain in the finished fabric are hereinafter referred to asindestructible threads.

The indestructible threads are normally arranged so that they run in onedirection and the destructible threads so that they run in a directionat vright angles to the indestructible threads. The indestructiblethreads are preferably arranged so that they form loops (as for exampleY in the case of knitted fabrics) or form windings ric is made on anordinary loom or frame, the warp threads of the fabric being of wool andthe weft threads, cotton. Rubber is applied to this fabric by sprayingrubber latex on to its surface in a very finely divided state and theconditions 5 `of application may be those described in cepending UnitedStates VApplication Serial No. 112,972.

In general the latex is applied only to one side of the fabric so thatthe threads of the fabric are not completely encased in rubber. The-rubberl0 coated fabric is then threated with a 3% solution of causticsoda at a temperature of about C. and the woollen threads are therebydissolved leaving the rubber previously deposited thereon in the form ofrubber threads. It will be underl5 stood that the treated fabricpossesses such extensibility in the direction of the original woollenA ythreads as is possessed by the rubber threads p which nally remain.

Instead of forming certain of the threads of 20 the fabric ofdestructible threads it is within the scope of this invention to formthe threads of .a combination of destructible and indestructible fibres.The final product may possess very considerable extensibility providingcare is taken to 25 arrange the indestructible fibres in pronouncedloops, windings or sinuosities. The employment of indestructible threadsas described above limits the extensibility of the rubber. Y

In one form of fabric employed in the present 30 invention the threadsor certain of the threads are composed of a core of woollen fibreswrapped in cotton fibres. After the woollen fibres'have f been destroyedthe cotton remains in the vform of helices which are capable ofconsiderable elongation. Such tlneads may be placed either in one gdirection of the fabric only or in both directions. Y

In the preferred method of carrying the invention into effect fabricsknitted on special frames 'i are employed. 'Ihese fabrics consist of aseries 40 of parallel warp threads and a series of threads connectedwith the warp threads with the formation of numerous loops. Such afabric possesses little extensibility along the warp threads but theextensibility at right angles to the warp threads 45 may be veryconsiderable, for examp1e,up to 800% of the original length of thefabric. The warp threads are preferably made of wool or otherdestructible material capable of being removed by chemical treatment andthe remaining threads i 0f the fabric are made of cotton. By treatingthe rubber-coated fabric with a solution of alkali for example asolution of caustic `soda the warpj threads are dissolved and the cottonthreads remain. '111e final product s considerable-2..-

extensibility both along the warp threads and in a directionperpendicular to the warp threads. According'to a further feature of theinvention the fabric may be so designed that the rubber threads possessa reinforcement of textile bres which prevents the rubber from beingstretched beyond its safe limits.

In a modified form of extensible fabric two pieces of rubber-coatedfabric are prepared. the extensibility of the fabric in one directionbeing considerable (but limited by the arrangement of the threadsrunning in that direction) and the extensibility of the fabric in theother direction being limited only by the safe extensibility of therubber threads running ln that direction. The two pieces of fabric arestuck together with their rubber threads crossing. Such a fabricpossesses great extensibility in all directions, but the extensibilityis limited in all directions by the textile threads.

Following is a description with. reference to the accompanyingdiagrammatic drawing (in which similar reference numerals denote similarparts) of extensible fabrics formed in accordance with the presentinvention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view in an enlarged scale of a fabricconsisting of sinuous threads;

Figs. 2, 2A, 2B and 2C respectively represent successive steps in oneprocess for the treatment of the fabric;

Figs. 3, 3A and 3B show to an enlarged scale portions of the fabricbefore, during and after treatment respectively;

Figs. 4, 4A and 4B show a short portion of a composite textile fabricbefore, during and after treatment;

Fig. 5 illustrates a further modification of a fabric to be used in thepractice of the invention;

Fig. 5A is a piece of fabric similar to that shown in Fig. 5, to be usedin conjunction with thejabric used in Fig. 5;

Fig. 5B is a composite fabric made by superimposing a fabric shown inFigs. 5A and 5B; and

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation to an enlarged scale of the fabric shownin Fig. 5B.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a small section to an enlarged scale of afabric consisting of sinuous threads. All threads, such as II, which runin one direction, are made of wool and all threads such as I2 running ina direction substantially at right angles to the threads il are made ofcotton so that by treatment of the fabric with a solution of alkali thewool may be dissolved, leaving only the cotton threads l2.

In Figs. 2, 2A, 2B and 2C there is illustrated a process for themanufacture of elastic fabrics in accordance with the present invention.Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically a fabric I3 composed of cotton and woolenthreads similar to the fabric shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2A shows fabric I3being sprayed with rubber latex I4 from a spray gun I5. Fig. 2B showsthe sprayed fabric I3 being dried under a hood I6. Fig. 2C shows asprayed and dried fabric I3 being passed through a bath I I containing asuitable alkali liquid I8 for dissolving the wool threads from thefabric. The vessel I'I is provided with a steam jacket I9 formaintaining the liquid I8 at a desired temperature. The fabric may bepassed in a continuous web through the alkaline solution I1, under andover rollers 2D, the time of passage of the fabric I3 through thesolution being that necessary to dissolve thewool threads II.

Fig. 3 shows a plan View on an enlarged scale of a piece of woven fabricconsisting of cotton threads 2I running in one direction and woolthreads 22 substantially at right angles to threads 2|. In Fig. 3A thereis shown the same portion of the fabric shown in Fig 3 sprayed withrubber latex, the coating of rubber being indicated for the sake ofVclearness by the band between the lines 23 and 24. It will be observedthat the rubber forms a connected network overlying the threads of thefabric. Fig. 3B shows the section of fabric shown in Fig. 3A after ithas been treated with a solvent for the wool threads 22. The fibers ofthe threads 22 have been dissolved away, leaving continuous rubberthreads 25 while the cotton threads 2 I remain undissolved but bearingthe coating of latex rubber.

Fig. 4 shows a short portion of a composite textile fabric threadconsisting of a core 26 of wool fibers surrounded by a helical windingof cotton bers 2l. Fig. lA shows the same thread to which a coating oflatex 2d has been applied. Fig. 4B shows the same portion of fabricafter treatment of a solvent for the wool fibers 2E. The core of woolenbers has been dissolved, leaving the wound core of cotton fibers 2'! andthe layer of latex rubber 28 attached thereto.

Fig. 5 shows a small portion of fabric consisting of woolen threads 29substantially parallel to one another and substantially parallel cottonthreads 30 running in a direction at right angles to the threads 29.Fig. 5A shows a similar fabric in which the woolen threads 29 run in adirection at right angles to the woolen threads 29 of Fig. 5, i. e., inthe same direction as the cotton threads 3U of Fig. 5. The fabrics shownin Fig. 5 and the cotton threads 3d run in the same direction as thewoolen threads 29 of Fig 5. The fabrics, after being sprayed with rubberlatex, are treated with a solvent for the woolen nbers and the fabricsare superimposed with the layer of rubber coating of each fabric incontact. The fabrics are pressed together and the resulting fabric isshown in Fig. 5B in which the coated cotton fibers 30 run at rightangles to each other and are interspersed with the threads of sprayedrubber which remain after the core of wool threads have been treatedwith a solvent for the wool.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a section through the fabric illustrated inFig. 5B and this section can be either along the warp or the weft of thefabric since the two sections would be identical In the drawing thecotton threads 3I are substantially parallel to one another and arecrossed at sub stantially right angles by the cotton threads 32. Inbetween the cotton threads 3| and 32 lie a rubber network of threads 33which are parallel and spaced apart from the threads 3l and the rubberthreads 34 which are parallel to and spaced apart from the cross threads32. Itwill be observed that neither the rubber threads 3| nor the cottonthreads are interwoven but all threads lie in a horizontal plane,passing through the longitudinal axis of threads 3I and will besubstantially parallel to the horizontal plane passing through thelongitudinal axis of threads 32.

We claim:

l. A process for the manufacture of an elastic fabric consisting oftextile material and rubber which consists in weaving or knitting afabric from textile threads some of which can be dissolved in a solventand the remainder of which are under the same conditions insoluble inthe said solvent, applying rubber latex to the said fabric in the formof a finely-divided spray the coating of latex being insuflicient toenclose the threads of the fabric completely and thereafter treating thecoated fabric with a solvent to dissolve the soluble threads and toleave the insoluble threads intact.

2. A process for the manufacture of an elastic fabric consisting oftextile material and rubber which consists in weaving or knitting afabric from textile threads some of which can be dissolved in a solventand the remainder of which are under the same conditions insoluble inthe said solvent, applying rubber latex to the said fabric in the formof a finely-divided spray so that the threads remain capable of slidingone on the other at their points of intersection and thereafter treatingthe coated fabric with a solvent to dissolve the soluble threads and toleave the insoluble threads intact.

3. A process for the manufacture of a` fabric which is extensible in alldirections and which consists of textile material and rubber whichprocess consists in weaving or knitting a fabric wholly from textilethreads some of which can be dissolved in a solvent and the remainder ofwhich are under the same conditions insoluble in the said solvent, theinsoluble textile threads running in the direction in which the fabricis freely extensible and the soluble textile threads running in thatdirection in which the fabric is not freely extensible, applying rubberlatex to the said fabric in the form of a finely-divided spray, thecoating of latex being insufficient to enclose the threads of the fabriccompletely, and

, thereafter treating the coated fabric with -a solvent to dissolve thesaid soluble textile threads and to leave the said insoluble textilethreads intact.

4. A process for the manufacture of an elastic fabric consisting oftextile material and rubber which process consists in weaving orknitting a fabric wholly from textile,yarns some of which can bedissolved in a solvent and the remainder of which are under the sameconditions not completely soluble in the said solvent, applying rubberlatex to the said fabric in the form of a finely-divided spray, thecoating of latex being insuillcient to enclose the threads of the fabriccompletely, and thereafter treating the coated fabric with a solvent todissolve the said soluble textile threads and to leave the saidinsoluble textile fibres intact.

5.' A process for the manufacture of an elastic fabric consisting oftextile material and rubber which process consists in weaving orknitting a fabric wholly from textile threads some of which canbedissolved in a solvent and the remainder of which are under the sameconditions insoluble in the said solvent, the said soluble textilethreads running in the general direction in which the fabric is notnormally extensible, applying rubber latex to the said fabric in theform of a finely-divided spray, the coating of latex being insufficientto enclose the threads of the fabric completely and thereafter treatingthe rubber coated fabric with a solvent to dissolve the soluble textilethreads and to leave the insoluble threads intact.

6. A process for the manufacture of an elastic fabric consisting oftextile material andrubber which process consists in weaving or knittinga fabric wholly from textile threads some of which ing arranged insinuous form, applying rubber latex to the said fabric in the form of afinelydivided spray, the coating of latex being insufficient to enclosethe threads of the fabric completely, and thereafter treating the rubbercoated fabric with a solvent to dissolve the soluble threads and toleave the insoluble threads inthereafter treating the rubber coatedfabric with f a solvent to dissolve the wool and to cotton intact.

8. A process for the manufacture of an elastic fabric consisting oftextile material and rubber as claimed in claim 7 wherein the solventfor the wool is a solution of -caustic soda.

9. A process for the manufacture of an elastic fabric consisting oftextile material and rubber as claimed in claim 7 wherein the wool isdissolved by treatment with a caustic soda solution of substantially 3%strength at about 70 C.

l0. A process for the manufacture of an elastic fabric consisting oftextile material and rubber whichv process consists in Weaving orknitting Vleave the a fabric wholly from textile threads consisting of ywhich under the same conditions are insoluble in the said solvent,applying rubber latex to the said fabric in the form of a nely-divldedspray, the coating of latex being insufficient to enclose the threads ofthe fabric completely, and thereafter treating the coated fabric with asolvent to dissolve the fibres forming the core of the threads andleaving the wrapping threads undissolved.

11. A process for the manufacture of an elastic fabric consisting oftextile material and rubber which process consists in weaving orknitting a fabric wholly from textile threads consisting of a core ofwool, the said core being wrapped round with helices of cotton fibres,applying rubber latex to the said fabric in the form of a nelydividedspray, the coating of l ex being insumcient to enclose the threads of hefabric completely, and thereafter treating the coated fabric with asolvent for the wool.

l2. A process for the manufacture of an elastic fabric consisting oftextile material and rubberl which process consists in weaving or,knitting a fabric from threads some of which can be dissolved in asolvent and the remainder of:

which have a core the fibres whereof are soluble in the said solventunder the same conditions and are wound with fibres which are insolublein the said solvent, applying rubber latex to one face of the saidfabric in the form of a finelydivided spray, and thereafter treating therubber coated fabric with a solvent to dissolve the soluble partsthereof and to leave the insoluble parts intact.

13. A process for the manufacture of a composite elastic fabricconsisting of textile material and rubberwhich process cor. ists inweaving or knitting a fabric from threads some of which 5 can bedissolved in a solvent and the remainder of which are insoluble in thesaid solvent, the soluble threads all running in one direction and theinsoluble threads all running in a direction at right angles to thesoluble threads, applying rubber latex to the said fabric in the form ofa finely-divided spray, the coating of latex being insuicient to enclosethe threads of the fabric completely, and thereafter treating the rubbercoated fabric with a solvent to dissolve the soluble threads and toleave the insoluble threads intact and uniting two Vsimilarly treatedsheets of fabric so that the insoluble threads on one fabric are atright angles to the insoluble threads of the other fabric.

14. An elastic fabric consisting of a textile material the threadswhereof are covered with a closely adhering coating of porous rubber andcoherent built-up threads of porous rubber interspersed therewith.

15. An elastic fabric some of whose elements have a core of textilefibre coated with a porous but continuous layer of closely adheringrubber and other elements whereof consist wholly of such porous rubber.

16. An elastic fabric some of whose elements have a core of textilefibre coated with a porous but continuous layer of closely adheringsprayed 17. An elastic fabric which consists of threads of extensibletextile material with an adherent coating of porous rubber thereon andinterwoven elements of porous rubber built up on textile threads whichlimit the extensibility of said rubber threads.

18. A process for the manufacture of a fabric consisting of textilematerial and rubber which comprises treating with rubber latex in theform of a finely divided spray, so that its constituent textile elementsare not completely enclosed by rubber, a knitted or woven fabric some ofthe textile elements whereof are soluble in a solvent and the remainderwhereof are insoluble in said solvent and subsequently treating therubberized fabric with the solvent to dissolve the said soluble textileelements and to leave intact those textile elements which are insoluble.

19. An elastic fabric formed by the association of rubber coated fabricextensible threads and intersecting rubber threads, the rubber threadsand the rubber of the coated threads being integral and forming a singlethickness at the f intersections.

FERNAND FREDERIC SCHWARTZ. MARC ALFRED CHAVANNES.

